The last dozen or so years have seen a huge increase in vertical jigging methods. This includes several techniques designed for vertical presentation such as drop shoting which will be explained in full in the Detailed Description section. Probably the most pronounced use of new jigging techniques is in the sport of ice fishing throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This, of course, is mainly limited to vertical presentations of bait and or lures . . . or a combination of the two.
The vertical manipulation methods (other than drop shoting) are often done with existing lures which were designed for standard casting and/or trolling techniques. Although they can be successful, it is generally in spite of the design and function rather than because of it, and this has limited unnecessarily, the success of the angler.
One solution is a small group of Jigging lures by Normark/Rapala led by the. “Jigging Rap” which were specifically designed to rest in a horizontal position. It can be worked up and down by jigging the rod tip in various ways. Some horizontal side movement can be achieved.
Another lure that has been effective for many decades is the Swedish Pimple by Bay-de-Noc Fishing products company of Gladstone Mich. It often sells the Swedish Pimple lure with a tear dropped shaped attractor attached which greatly aids the presentation when jigged vertically. They also promote the placement of bait on the hooks such as perch eyes, small section of worm or maggots and other real baits which have both natural scent and some movement with very little motion to the rod tip.
A third group of lures that often rest horizontally are weighted jigs. They can be fished vertically, but more often are used as casting lures which is benefited by fact that the size of the jig head can vary and the increased weight adds to the distance the lure can be cast and/or how quickly it will descend.
Another group of more recent lures are very small jig style lures specifically designed for ice fishing for “panfish”.
No other lures of which I am aware use the center balance point beyond the Normark/Rapala
In the case of the Normark/Rapala Jigging Rap it is very expensive to manufacture and therefore equally expensive to purchase by the angler. Although it has good visual appeal to the fish, it is distracted by large hooks protruding out both of the horizontal ends. Its success is really the result of the unique but effective horizontal position of the lure itself and the ability to make it dart in one direction or anther by skilled manipulation by the angler.
The Swedish Pimple is aided by the tear drop shaped attractor which is often attached and their suggestion (in the marketing materials) that live or real bait be added. The fact remains that the lure rests in a vertical position, which is unnatural for a minnow imitation to suspend in a vertical mode.
It is very surprising that no other concepts have evolved which attach at the center of the lure except inventions being offered by this inventor. One of the author's inventions is a bar shaped lure with equal sections on both ends. But this inventor will readily admit that one shortcoming of this lure is it also suspends in a vertical position when not being worked or jigged.
The ice jigging lures are sometimes well balanced horizontally, but seldom resemble a minnow and are more often tipped with actual bait such as maggots, meal worms, or a small piece of worm, and are generally designed to imitate insect larva. There is usually little weight involved so the use is mainly lowering vertically through a hole in the ice and its success is usually limited to panfish.